Fluid dispensing

ABSTRACT

A marking or writing instrument in which the nib is fabricated from extremely fine, hairlike stainless steel fibers which are arranged in a random, compact bundle. The bundle is located within and protrudes outwardly of an outlet orifice formed in the flexible tip of the container in which the marking fluid is stored. A closure cap having tapered, internal threads screws onto the flexible tip of the marker to compress the tip and closes the interstices between the fibers of the nib contained therein to seal the orifice.

United States Patent [72] Inventor A.AlbertAirosus 39 Crosby St., Lowell, Mass. 01852 [21] Appl.No. 799,612 [22] Filed Feb.17,l969 [45] Patented Sept.28,1971

[54] FLUIDDISPENSING 2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 401/199 [51] lnt.Cl B43k5/10 [50] FieldofSearch 401/196, 198,199,202,183,184;46/195,199,183

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,576,533 3/1926 Mikeleitis 401/198 1,811,493 6/1931 Cochran 401/202 1,934,274 11/1933 Pawlansky 401/196 2,923,019 2/1960 Rabe. 401/198 3,037,620 6/1962 Douty 3,056,999 10/1962 Myddelton 401/183 3,090,070 5/1963 Simons 401/183 X 3,361,516 1/1968 Rigondaud 401/198 X 3,400,998 9/1968 Daugherty et al. 401/198 3,449,054 6/1969 Lundsager 401/198 FORElGN PATENTS 1,511,771 12/1967 France 401/198 526,288 8/1940 Great Britain 401/196 Primary Examiner--Lawrence Charles Att0rneyWolf, Greenfield & Sacks ABSTRACT: A marking or writing instrument in which the nib is fabricated from extremely fine, hairlike stainless steel fibers which are arranged in a random, compact bundle. The bundle is located within and protrudes outwardly of an outlet orifice formed in the flexible tip of the container in which the marking fluid is stored. A closure cap having tapered, internal threads screws onto the flexible tip of the marker to compress the tip and closes the interstices between the fibers of the nib 7 contained therein to seal the orifice.

PATENTEU SEP28 I971 FIG. 4

FIG.

FIG. 5

INVI'iN'I'OR.

A. ALBERT AIROSUS ATTORNEYS FLUID DISPENSING SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION My invention relates to liquid dispensers, marking pens and the like and particularly to an improved tip or nib for such marking implements. The marking tip, in accordance with my invention, is useful particularly to dispense viscous, pigmented fluids such as paint.

Although the art, in general, is replete with a wide variety of fluid dispensers and tips therefor, the handling of each type of fluid has required different considerations in the selection of materials as well as in construction of the dispenser. For example, in recent years, felt-tipped marking pens have gained wide commercial acceptance to dispense fluids of low viscosity which are free'of pigment particles such as dyes or inks which are pure solutions and have no distinct particle formation. Felt tips, however, cannot be employed successfully to dispense a relatively viscous paint or ink which is characterized by large particles of pigment. The paint cannot flow through the felt with the desired freedom, and, as a result, the particles tend to become lodged in the interstices of the felt which causes the tip to become clogged and inoperative.

Among the other arrangements which have been proposed in the prior art is a tip formed from a under of bristles, arranged in a parallel, brushlike manner. These tips require, generally, that the bristles initially be arranged in parallel and then be bound, or otherwise secured in the brushlike configuration. lf, during use, any of the bristles becomes loose or works free from the bundle, the tendency of other bristles to become loosened is increased. Bristles are more susceptible to wear than is the tip employed in my invention and, in addition, tend to retain the fluid so that, when exposed to the air, the more volatile elements of the fluid may evaporate and leave a residual crust on the bristles. Furthermore, a bristle tip has a relatively soft feel similar to that of a fine brush and requires great care and tedious manipulation by the user. It is among the objects of my invention to provide a fluid marking or dispensing tip which is firm, will not work loose, is substantially wear-free and which does not tend to retain the fluid in exposure to the air.

Also proposed in the prior art are tips formed from a bundle of parallel wires or filaments bound firmly to each other to define a number of straight, uninterrupted capillary passages between the adjacent wires in the bundle. It should be noted that nibs of this type, generally, have been constructed from wires of considerably greater diameter than those proposed by the present invention, thus providing continuous, regular and relatively wide interstices or flow channels between the adjacent wires in the bundle. These nibs are of somewhat more complicated construction and, therefore, are relatively expensive and thus do not lend themselves readily for use as a disposable pen or fluid dispenser. It is among the objects of my invention to provide a nib or dispensing tip which is inexpensive both as to the cost of material and ease of manufacture and which is adapted for use as a disposable article.

In those instances where the prior art has suggested that thin wires be employed as a dispensing tip or nib, the fluids to be dispensed have been solutions rather than pigmented fluids in which the pigment particles are not dissolved. Accordingly, it has been though that in order to dispense a pigmented fluid enlarged wires must be employed to provide enlarged interstices through which the particles of pigment may flow free- 1y. Although in theory, it would appear that by providing such 'enlargedinterstices a tip may be constructed through which the pigment particles may flow freely, this has not proved to be so in actual practice. The flow of fluid is either too great or too little and is difficult to control. I have discovered that pigmented fluids may be dispensed effectively and with improved results, through a nib composed of extremely fine, newly available, metallic fibers, particularly when the fibers are arranged in a nonparallel, random orientation. It should be nmml that M "earl herein ranrlnm nrientatinn" is intended to include a completely irregular orientation, as would be the strands in a ball of steel wool as well as an arrangement wherein, although some of the strands are parallel, many strands in the bundle are not parallel but are interwoven, irregularly, with and between the parallel strands. The strands of the latter arrangement also may be considered as being "irregularly parallel."

ln accordance with my invention, the nib is fabricated from a plurality of extremely fine, hairlike strands of stainless steel which are of a diameter of the order of between 4 and 40 microns. The strands preferably are arranged in a nonparallel, random and irregular bundle similar to the fibers of steel wool and the bundle is pressed together in a compact arrangement. Fibers of the type employed in my nib have become availablev recently as a result of improvements in the technology of metal extrusion and are available commercially from the Brunswick Corporation under the Trademark Brunsmet." These fibers have been promoted and employed primarily to utilize their combined characteristics of electrical conductivity and weaveability in that they may be interwoven with conventional carpeting fibers to produce a static-free carpet.

Because my discovery enables fine, metallic fibers to be employed as a dispensing nib, other advantages displayed by the metallic fibers are obtained. For example, such a nib is extremely wear-resistant. Additionally, the metallic fibers are unaffected by heat which may, as described herein, simplify the binding of the fibers by heat-shrinking, should this be desired.

Another advantage of my invention is that the nib may be employed to dispense either viscous, pigmented fluids as well as pigment-free fluids or solutions with equal effectiveness. This is in contrast to prior techniques which have required that different tips be used to dispense difierent fluids. Thus, my tip displays a versatility heretofore unachieved.

It should be noted that in the prior art nibs which employ thin parallel wires, the wires must be bound within a sleeve and are exposed only at the tip of the nib. One of the reasons for this is that the wires bend easily and are susceptible to frequent breakage. Another reason for binding the parallel wires in a sleeve is that when the wires or bristles are flexible and do not tend to break, the tip has soft or silky" feel similar to that of a fine brush. The random arrangement of my fibers provides a nib of satisfactory rigidity without the use of a sleeve, even though the fibers are of a fineness never before employed. Although the strands of my nib are considerably finer than those suggested in the prior art, they will not break and do not require a sleeve to rigidity and protect the fibrous bundle. Elimination of such a sleeve simplifies manufacture and serves to lower the cost of the dispenser without affecting its quality.

The utilization of these fine, hairlike fibers as a marking tip or nib produces results that are quite remarkable and would not normally be expected, particularly in light of the prior art which, in general, suggests that in order to permit flow of thickly pigmented paints or inks, the wires or strands should be of a greater diameter in order to provide enlarged interstices through which the relatively large pigment particles may flow. Remarkably, although the fibers employed in my nib are considerably finer than any other fibers or wires heretofore employed in the prior art, thickly pigmented paints and inks pass freely therethrough. Thus, by arranging the extremely fine metallic wires in a random, and irregular orientation, the construction of my nib is in contrast to the teachings of the prior art in that the extremely fine fibers may be employed successfully to dispense thickly pigmented fluids. The surprising results thus obtained is presumed to be due to the inherent characteristics of the metallic strands and their random oriented arrangement.

In addition to providing the unexpected flow characteristics described above, the metallic fibers are nonporous which precludes effectively clogging of the tip. As will be later described, the fibers of my nib need not be prebound but simnlv mav be stuffed into the outlet orifice throu h which the fluid is to be dispensed. This provides a relatively simple assembly technique and reduces the cost of manufacture which in turn, enhances its use as a disposable unit.

Another aspect of my invention relates to a marker employing a nib in which the fibrous bundle is compacted to a degree wherein a slight pressure must be applied to the fluid to force it though the interstices between the fibers. Thus, a flexible, resilient container is provided with an outlet orifice and the container is sealed completely except for the outlet orifice in which the compacted nib is located. The paint or fluid within the container is dispensed through the nib by squeezing the container slightly, thus increasing the internal pressure on the fluid. After the desired quantity of fluid has been dispensed, the container is released and its resilience will reverse the pressure differential which will cause the fluid to flow back through the nib in the orifice. Becauseof the total lack of absorbent characteristics of the stainless steel fiber, the paint will not accumulate on the nib but will flow back through the nib in response to the reversed pressure differential. It will be appreciated that this enhances the cleanliness of the nib and retards encrustation or caking of the paint when the dispenser is not in use, even when the nib is uncapped. Markers of this type are particularly adapted for use as hand-held markers in which the flow rate can be controlled by varying the pressure exerted when squeezing the tube. The nib may, of course, be employed in more elaborate markers, for example, as with automatic pressure feeding equipment, etc.

Another aspect of my invention relates to an arrangement for sealing off the nib and outlet orifice completely. To this end, the outlet orifice is formed lengthwise within a necklike portion of the marker, at least the tip of the neck being formed from a relatively soft and resilient material such as polyethylene. The nib is located in the end of the orifice within the soft, resilient region of the neck. The nib, is not compacted to its maximum possible degree, but is compacted only to the degree necessary to permit fluid flow when the container is squeezed lightly. Means are provided for squeezing or pinching the soft, resilient end of the neck which, in turn, compacts further the fibers in the nib to the degree necessary to preclude fluid flow through the nib under normal operating pressures. As described in greater detail below, the tip of the neck may be pinched by a screw cap having internal threads arranged in a tapered configuration which engage and squeeze the tip of the neck about the region of the nib as the cap progressively is screwed on. This arrangement for sealing the orifice by further compacting of the nib is particularly useful in markers which are intended to be carried in ones pocket where it is important that there be no drip or leakage from the nib after the cap is closed. Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser employing my nib and which is suited for hand-held use;

P16. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the tip or nib of my marker;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2 illustrating an alternative construction for my nib;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a marker employing my nib in cooperation with a closure cap adapted to squeeze and seal the nib; and

FIG. 5 is an illustration in which the fibers are arranged in a loo T he dispenser shown in HQ. 1 is adapted for hand-held use and includes a container 10, which may be of tubular form, which is constructed from a flexible, resilient material such as polyethylene. Other materials possessing the desired resilience and flexibility may be substituted, provided that the material employed for the container is compatible with the fluid or paint to be dispensed. The container 10 includes a neck portion 12 having an orifice 14 formed therein which tapers outwardly within the neck 12 towards the tip. The bundle of randomly oriented stainless steel fibers which comprises the nib 16 mav be inserted into the orifice either through the tip of the neck 14 or through the open bottom of the container 10, before the container is filled with fluid. After the nib is in place, the open bottom of the container 10 is filled with the fluid and the bottom end may then be closed as by heat sealing or other conventional means.

The nib, in accordance with the invention, may be employed to dispense both viscous pigments fluids and pigmentfree fluids such as pure solutions. When the fluid is pigmentfree and of low viscosity it may be desirable to provide a capillary-structured fluid reservoir 15 within the container to preclude fluid from leaking through the tip. When the fluid is viscous or pigmented the reservoir 15 may be omitted.

One of the advantages of the present invention is the ease with which the nib 16 and container may be assembled. It is not necessary to prebind the fibers of the nib 16 in any particular precise configuration nor is it strictly necessary to provide any special, additional means for retaining the bundle of stainless steel fibers in place at the tip of the orifice 14. All that is necessary is that the bundle of fibers be stuffed, as by a pin or a thin rod into the orifice so that a portion of the nib 16 protrudes outwardly of the tip of the orifice 14. it is remarkable that the nib 16 is retained in this position while the dispenser is being used, particularly when the paint or fluid is urged through the nib under an increased, internal pressure. This may be due, in part, to the cross-sectional structure of the individual strands or fibers in the nib, which is not smooth or round as is the case with fibers formed from plastic or glass. Microscopic examination of the stainless steel fibers employed in my tip indicates that the external surface of the fibers are provided with relatively sharp, somewhat irregular grooves or flutes extending along the length of each fiber. It is believed that the relatively sharp grooves engage the inner wall of the orifice 14 and aid in retaining the nib 16 in place, even when subjected to the foregoing pressure.

By way of example, in a dispenser in which the orifice I4 tapers to an outlet opening of approximately 1/ l6 inch diameter, l have found that a bundle formed from approximately 3,600 strands of stainless steel fibers, each being approximately 12 microns in diameter and arranged in random, may be compacted into the 1/16 inch diameter outlet orifice so that a portion of the compacted nib 16 protrudes from the orifice as shown in the accompanying figures. lt should be noted that the fibers described above are the equivalent of 0.4 denier of nylon, a fineness never heretofor employed. The random arrangement may be similar to that of steel wool or may be irregularly parallel" as described above. In the irregularly parallel arrangement a greater number of free ends of the fibers will be exposed at the tip and will result in a somewhat softer tip. Compacting or stuffing the nib into the tip of the orifice 14 tends to dilate slightly the tip of the orifice 14 which aids in gripping and retaining the nib in place.

Although it is not necessary to provide a binder or other means for retaining the nib 16 in place, it may, in some instances be desirable to do so. For example as shown in H6. 3, the fibrous bundle may be bound within a sleeve 18 which then is inserted into the tip of the orifice 14. The sleeve 18 preferably is formed from any one of a number of readily available, heat-shrinkable, thermoplastic materials and, when employing this method, the sleeve 18 comprises a tube of enlarged internal diameter into which the bundle of fibers is placed. Heat is then applied to the sleeve 18 to cause it to shrink and grip firmly the bundle of fibers. it should be noted that, unlike the more conventional materials employed as in nibs the stainless steel is unaffected by heat which simplifies the heat shrinking of the sleeve 18 about the fibrous bundle. There need not be any concern as to the fibers being damaged by the application of heat as would be the case with conventional, plastic fibers suggested in the prior art. After the bundle is bound within the sleeve, the sleeve 18 may be inserted into the orifice 14. In some instances the use of the sleeve 18 may be preferable where it is desirable to insert the nib directly through the tip of the orifice 14 instead of through the open bottom of the container 10.

H6. 5 shows an alternative nib in which the fibers are braided and bent in a loop so that the bight portion 19 is exposed at the tip of the orifice 14. The inner ends of the braid may be bound within a heat shrinkable sleeve 18 in the same manner as described above. It should be noted that when constructing the braided nib, care need not be taken to insure that the fibers in each strand 21 are parallel. The strands in the braid are arranged in an irregularly parallel orientation.

An additional aspect of my invention is shown in FIG. 4 from which it will be seen that a closure or cap 20 is provided having internal tapered threads 22. The threads 22 formed inside the cap 20 taper at a greater angle than the external taper of the top of the neck 12 so that when the cap is screwed on to the tip it will engage only the extreme end portion thereof in the region where the fibrous bundle or nib 16 is located. As the cap progressively is screwed on, the neck, which is formed from polyethylene or other resilient material, is squeezed together thus squeezing the fibers in the bundle into a more compact arrangement to narrow the interstices between the fibers to the degree where the flow of fluid through the tip is substantially precluded. It should be noted, in addition, that by forming the neck 12 from a relatively soft material the cap 20 will be self-threading and there is no necessity to provide threads on the exterior of the neck 12. This arrangement is effective to insure that once the cap has been tightened about the tip of the neck 12, there can be no leakage and the marker may be carried safely within one s pocket.

From the foregoing description of my invention it will be understood that l have provided a fluid dispenser employing a versatile tip or nib which eliminates a number of the disadvantages found in prior nibs. In particular, it may be used with viscous, pigmented fluid such as paint, pigmented inks and the like, as well as other, nonpigmented fluids or solutions. The tip is wear-free, durable and does not tend to become clogged. The tip displays desirable and regular flow characteristics. Additionally, a dispenser or marker employing my tip may be constructed at low cost thus enhancing its use as a disposable article of manufacture. These and other advantages are obtained by forming the tip from a plurality of hairlike metallic wires of a fineness which had been thought would not be employed successfully as a dispensing tip, particularly for pigmented fluids.

It will be appreciated that the foregoing is intended to be merely illustrative of my invention and that other embodiments and modifications thereof may be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from its spirit.

Having thus described by invention what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A marking implement for use in association with a thickly pigmented fluid comprising;

fluid-containing means having an elongate neck portion bored integrally therewith, said neck portion having an outlet orifice formed therein and extending outwardly from said container to the tip of said neck, said neck being continuously cylindrical to define an uninterrupted cylindrical orifice at the tip portion of said neck, at least the tip portion of said neck being formed from a flexible, resilient material;

means enabling the interior of said fluid-containing means to be subjected to a pressure greater than the ambient pressure;

a plurality of fibers formed from an abrasion resistent metal, said fibers being between 4 and 40 microns in diameter, said fibers being arranged in a bundle, said bundle being located within said orifice at the region of said flexible portion of said tip in such a manner that a portion of said bundle protrudes outwardly of said tip;

said bundle being compacted to a degree difficult to preclude any substantial flow as a result of capillary action of said thickly pigmented fluid but to permit flow of said fluid in response to application of said greater pressure to said fluid, said fibrous bundle being retained together without any ag lomerates;

means for squeezing sat resilient portion of said neck thereby to squeeze simultaneously said resilient tip and compact further said metal fibers located therein to a degree wherein fluid flow therethrough is precluded, said means comprising a cap having internally formed threads, said threads being arranged in an outward taper and being dimensioned to engage only the resilient tip portion of said neck, whereby when said cap is screwed progressively onto said tip, said tapered configuration of said threads will impart a uniform radially and inwardly squeezing thereto.

2. A marking implement as defined in claim 1 wherein said neck is tapered outwardly and is of a more narrowed taper than that of said threads formed internally of said cap. 

1. A marking implement for use in association with a thickly pigmented fluid comprising: fluid-containing means having an elongate neck portion formed integrally therewith, said neck portion having an outlet orifice formed therein and extending outwardly from said container to the tip of said neck, said neck being continuously cylindrical to define an uninterrupted cylindrical orifice at the tip portion of said neck, at least the tip portion of said neck being formed from a flexible, resilient material; means enabling the interior of said fluid-containing means to be subjected to a pressure greater than the ambient pressure; a plurality of fibers formed from an abrasion resistent metal, said fibers being between 4 and 40 microns in diameter, said fibers being arranged in a bundle, said bundle being located within said orifice at the region of said flexible portion of said tip in such a manner that a portion of said bundle protrudes outwardly of said tip; said bundle being compacted to a degree sufficient to preclude any substantial flow as a result of capillary action of said thickly pigmented fluid but to permit flow of said fluid in response to application of said greater pressure to said fluid, said fibrous bundle being retained together without any agglomerates; means for squeezing said resilient portion of said neck thereby to squeeze simultaneously said resilient tip and compact further said metal fibers located therein to a degree wherein fluid flow therethrough is precluded, said means comprising a cap having internally formed threads, said threads being arranged in an outward taper and being dimensioned to engage only the resilient tip portion of said neck, whereby when said cap is screwed progressively onto said tip, said tapered configuration of said threads will impart a uniform radially and inwardly squeezing thereto.
 2. A marking implement as defined in claim 1 wherein said neck is tapered outwardly and is of a more narrowed taper than that of said threads formed internally of said cap. 